Giant Bicycles founder King Liu dies at 93

King Liu, the founder of Giant Bicycles and one of the most influential figures in the global cycling industry, has passed away, the brand announced today. Liu died peacefully in the early hours of February 16 at the age of 93.

"To Giant Group, Mr Liu was not only our Founder, but a leader who consistently guided the organisation forward while remaining attentive to the people around him," the company said in a statement.

Liu’s path to building the largest global bicycle manufacturer was far from direct. In his youth, he was considered a jack-of-all-trades who worked in his family’s eel-farming business. But when a typhoon destroyed the family business, Liu was in need of a career shift. He entered the bicycle business in the early 1970s, initially believing building bikes would be simple. Instead, Liu found the work far more complex. But he was up for the challenge.

Liu officially founded Giant in 1972 in his hometown of Taichung, a manufacturing hub in Taiwan, where it produced bikes for overseas brands before launching its own label in 1981.

He focused on refining the engineering and quality of Giant’s early products and recruited Tony Lo to lead sales and marketing. Together, they helped build not only a manufacturing base but a broader cycling ecosystem spanning retailers, distributors, import channels and component manufacturers. As Giant expanded, the company worked with emerging bike shops and international distributors to build reliable sales networks for export markets and strengthen domestic retail infrastructure. At the same time, Liu partnered closely with small Taiwanese factories producing frames, parts and accessories, providing production volume, technical standards and quality requirements that helped accelerate the development of a globally competitive component supply chain.

Liu famously chose the name "Giant" even when the company had just 38 employees, reflecting the scale of his ambitions.

That vision ultimately materialised, transforming Giant into a dominant global manufacturer and cementing Liu’s legacy as a pioneer of modern bicycle production. As of early 2026, Giant Group had an estimated market value of about NT$35 billion (roughly US$1.1 billion), based on Taiwan Stock Exchange data.

In its announcement, Giant Group emphasised that bicycles were more than a business to Liu.

"Throughout his life, Mr. Liu devoted himself to bicycles, believing they represented not merely a business, but a meaningful way of life," the company said.

"He was widely respected as a lifelong advocate for cycling culture and remained a deeply influential figure to colleagues, partners, and riders across generations."

Even after stepping back from day-to-day leadership in 2016, Liu remained active in public advocacy. According to Giant, he became "one of Taiwan’s leading cycling advocates, urging government agencies to build bike paths and promote the sport’s health benefits."

The company noted that the announcement came during the Lunar New Year and was shared "with the same humility and discretion that Mr. Liu upheld throughout his life."

He is remembered by Giant Group as a founder, leader and lifelong champion of the bicycle.